The sun., 1887-04-17
PADDY DIVERS GLORY.
He IL the Humble Iustrunent that Called Oat
Most Instructlve Chapter On Women.

Most Instructlve Chapter On women.
New YORK. April 4. 1887.
Hon. Patrick Dtvre,, vice Presdent Board Of Aldermen
DEAR SIR: Allow me, as one familiar with
the subject. to express great surprise at the
report OF the Committee on Salaries and
Offices against your very proper and creditable
resolution appointing Miss Minna R. Pollock a
commissioner Of deeds The reflection on you
in this report. which states in effect that you
have attempted an illegal act, is wholly un-
deserved. and take pleasure in assuring you
that your effort to aid q worthy lady In her pro-
fession is an act as lawful as 1t Is honorable.
The report shows remarkable ignorance Of
both the principles and precedents OF law. It
overlooks entirely the fundamental purpose OF
law. to secure freedom and fair play to all, and
also ignores the universal principle that
whatever Is not forbidden is allowed" 1t
wholly fails to show-for 1t cannot-any statute
against woman's holding the Commissioner
ship. and resorts to the shallow plea that no
court has decided in favor Of such holding,
when no such decision is needed. any more than
a decision in favor OF her right to live or
breathe. and when 1t is obliged to confess
that women have held the like oflce Of notary.
and that the attempt in court to impesch her
title has failed The report seeks by the COM
mon law Of custom, precedent practice. &C.. to
make your proposition appear unlawful. when
the very jubilee OF Queen Victoria shows that
q woman has held the highest common law
office for half century The writer of this
report does not seem TO M kn1w p that at THOUSAND %
the doom books Of boroughs in and after the
reign Of William the Congueror, are full of
siaes that hea the e
member Of Parliament; that Queen Elinor. in
ts TT hd bed and the
=. Countess Of Pembroke. held and exercised the
office Of Lord High Sheriff, even sitting beside
land, Anna. Timothee, in South Carolina, and
ty al held sSe sate a sa
Kegistrar Of Deeds in a county oi this State.
that thousands Of women hold Office to-day
as Postmasters. pension agents Custom House
tses. clerks in the Treasary and ether Gnted
States departments. clerks to Legislatures.
G%ounsselloEs,at 60 n masters IN ehancsTy pub;
eeon ia tho First precinct Of this city. He does
cut in 1879 appointed a woman Commissioner
Of Deeds and nm q the Court gen
s u
pointment, specially alluded to it as lawful
and very Hs es te the
ion contrary to the law Of the case. against
long since disrcsarded and foreotten-but
wholly fails to a state M that the present present Attor.
se M 10 axd the ws
ed positively that there is no, no law against
takes 10 account 81 the elaborate opinion OF the
an ASs dRdds - hs s
eoar bar a al gwen as he
District Of Columbia. In the case Of Masilla u.
Kicker. that Throughout the law "he" embraces
as notsriss in Hashinst9p; nor does &c seem m
sMHse%s Mss y yoHE II The assHsn s q
f"u9seiGT at law the ori5nion being dsyered
I'VE are not to forget that all statutes are to
be construed as far as possible IN favor Of
erty, all claims for special privileges. are 70 be
regarded ms having the presumption Of law
ses hs ABs &c sasf al pa al ysd dS
R!S wear Sonn
The report, however. is more than a re,
Gectione on your knowlSdEe Of the law It
shins shaw lowell dS to tSs oiiss q Slate Ghsri-
sT NILS S Sa
office; On Gov. Cleveland, Wh9 appointed Miss s;
Jsnnie Jbn Turner notary ES6lic en- Coy y Hill
and several other ladies 10 that oiiice:
and on every member Of Of the successive
ments. Two OF the three branches OF the su-
preme law:making power of the. State have
thus settled that women are eligible 70 Office;
takes II on itself to suggest that all these
authorities have acted illegally, and to insinu-
gard to decency and order. To show how far
this Is from tho truth II may le well 70 recall
that the I,egislature In 1850, AT the instance Of
suffrage. passed an act positively requiring
that al charity boards should contain womon
members. which would not have been done
had tn" Legislature held that sex WAS n legal
disqualification.
It is to be hoped that the Board will disre-
gard this report and pass the resolution, for
Offering which you deserve the thanks OF all
lovers Of fair play. Yours truly.
ohs,rnan E.ssut.ys oenmit!ss NsW iesi slsss Cen,